Yuzu-Glazed Chicken Wings

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God I miss parties. I miss the occasional dressing up, the platters of food and buckets of cold drinks. Mostly I miss being in an indoor space with my friends and family, talking and laughing, not worrying about who’s breathing on me.

So to bring a little party back into my life I’m making party-worthy chicken wings, party of one.

Obviously, these are not buffalo style, so please don’t expect crispy skins and a spicy vinegar sauce. Instead, these wings are soy and garlic marinated, oven-roasted, sticky, citrusy, and dang easy to make. Seriously, the hardest part will be waiting for these wings to marinade.

These glorious chicken wings were inspired by the yuzu-glazed chicken wings from my favorite winery, Kivelstadt Cellars, in Sonoma. If you’re in the area, I HIGHLY recommend stopping by for some wine and a fantastic meal. There’s usually live music and an outdoor seating area that is perfect for enjoying the warm Sonoma sun.

Though similar, these DK wings are slightly different than Kivelstadt’s. DK’s have a pronounced garlic-soy flavor that I didn’t notice in the original but quite like. That said, if you’re running short on time or don’t like garlic soy, you can certainly skip the marinating process and jump straight to cooking/glazing. Do what you want! It’s your party — you can cry if you want to!

The Recipe

Makes 9 lbs chicken wings

Ingredients

Garlic-Soy Marinade (🔥Short On Time)

5 garlic cloves, smashed

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Chicken Wings

9 lbs chicken wings; drumettes and flats separated

1/4 cup yuzu marmalade

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions

Make the marinade

1. In a large bowl or gallon ziplock, combine the garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Add the whiskey if using (🔥Short on Time).

Marinade the wings

1. Drain the chicken wings of any juices from the packaging. Add the chicken to the marinade, then mix or shake thoroughly to coat each piece.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or seal the bag. Allow the wings to marinade for at least 2 hours, but preferably 48 hours. Be sure to stir or shake the wings halfway through your planned marinating time to ensure they’re evenly flavored.

Bake the wings

1. Arrange your oven racks so that one rack is in the middle position and one is in the upper position. Preheat the oven to 350°F, convect if you have that setting. Line a rimmed baking tray with foil then grease the foil with oil to prevent sticking (🎩Nice Rack).

2. Arrange the chicken wings on the tray, or wire rack, in a single layer, spacing them so none are touching. Place the tray on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Broil and glaze

1. Set the oven to broil, the upper broiler if your oven has a distinction.

2. Place the wings back in the oven, this time on the upper rack. Allow the wings to broil for 2-5 minutes until the skins are browned— keep an eye on them because they can burn quickly. You’re looking for a dark browning, but not burnt. Remove from the oven, flip the wings, then repeat broiling.

3. Remove wings from the oven, then brush yuzu marmalade on both sides of each piece.

Garnish

1. Place the wings on a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.

Enjoy!

Storage and reheating: Chicken wings are best the same day, but can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave until warm or bake at 350°F for 10 minutes then broil for 1-2 minutes on each side.

Hot Tips 🔥

• SHORT ON TIME — If you have less than 2 hours to marinade the wings, you may add 2 teaspoons non-peated whiskey (like Jack Daniels or a Canadian whiskey) to quicken the absorption of the marinade. DO NOT USE a peated whiskey or you’ll ruin the flavor. Also, only add the whiskey if the marinating time is shorter than 2 hours or the chicken will taste like whiskey rather than marinade.

Tricks 🎩

• NICE RACK — If you have a wire cooling rack, set the cooling rack in the tray and spray with oil to prevent sticking. Elevating the wings off the tray will allow air to circulate around the wings, providing a more even bake.